'On a typical day I would have macaroni cheese and chips for lunch, snack on crisps and chocolate, then have curry followed by ice cream for tea [supper].

'I was comfort eating because my boyfriend was in the forces and he was often away for long periods.

'I would eat large Big Mac meals and drink two litres of Irn-Bru a day.My weight made me feel very depressed.

'I was moody and when my boyfriend came back I would hide myself away and not come out of the bedroom.

'He kept on at me about eating healthily and he tried to help me but I was difficult to be with.

'He proposed to me in 2009. I was still about 17 stone then and I made token efforts to control my weight. I'd go to one or two classes, lose a couple of stone and then give up.'

The couple were due to wed last August at Airth Castle in Sterlingshire, Scotland.

Shock: Pamela says that being dumped at the altar proved to be the wake-up call she needed

Fizz fighting: One of the easier parts of Pamela's new eating regime was cutting out the Irn Bru

Pamela said: 'We'd put deposits down on the venue, the band and even a piper.But last March he came to me and said he wanted to end the relationship. I have to admit I was difficult to be with and I don't blame him.

'I was absolutely devastated but it was the spur I needed to finally do something about my weight problem.'

Pamela contacted personal trainer David Wilson of Rapid-Hypno Fitness, who uses a combination of hypnosis, psychology and gym training.

David said: 'We did hypnosis to work on her mental attitude because when she came to me she was very emotional and had a lot of negative thoughts.

'We worked on that before making a start on the physical side. She has been doing interval training - 30-minute sessions five or six times a week.It involves cardio-vascular exercise - bikework and treadmill training.

'Pamela really is an inspirational example of what can be achieved. A lot of people come to me wanting to lose a lot of weight and they don't think it's possible.

'But Pamela has shown that with hard work, determination and a change of mindset from negative to positive, you can achieve great things.'

Pamela, who now weighs just under 10 and a half stone, is still in touch with her ex-boyfriend and said she has not ruled out a reconciliation.